Anyone out there feeling discouraged by the scale?

mar_pow
mar_pow Posts: 37 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
Hi Fitfam.
I am just feeling a little bummed today and I am trying to pull myself outta this funk. My goal for the end of October was to loose 5lbs. Well, I got on the scale today and I only lost 1lb.

I know I shouldn't get discouraged, but God damn, I am. I am more frustrated than anything, because I have been working my booty off in the gym-6 days a week and in the kitchen.

Also looking for fit friends that are incorporating strength training into their routines, this might be why I'm not seeing much change on the scale because I'm building muscle.

I just need some encouragement y'all!!

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    edited October 2017
    How close are you to a healthy weight (not your goal weight)? Are you weighing your food and logging everything you consume (cheat meals included)? Are you using correct entries when you are logging (i.e. no generic or home made entries)?

    ETA: don't be fooled by the "muscle weighs more than fat" statement. If you are in a deficit you can't gain muscle or fat.
  • Johns_Dope_AF
    Johns_Dope_AF Posts: 460 Member
    Hi! You were counting,weighing, and tracking everything? If you're building muscle how can you lose fat? Are you in a deficit?
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    current weight? goal weight? how are you measuring/accounting for food?
  • ravengirl2014
    ravengirl2014 Posts: 105 Member
    I lift...I am still losing...feel free to add me my diary is open to friends...
  • mar_pow
    mar_pow Posts: 37 Member
    Current weight 165. I have lost 35 lbs over the last 2 years (serial starter). I track everything and eat very clean. No dairy. No gluten. Lots of veggies and protein. I try to eat mostly paleo with some grains. I try to have at least a 500 lb deficit everyday except cheat meal once a week.
    Thanks in advance.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    what is your goal weight?

    you can overeat in calories while eating "clean" (in fact, I gained weight when I tried eating paleo a few years ago)

    also if you onyl have a little weight left to lose, a cheat meal can potentially blow any deficit out of the water
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Busting your butt in the gym and/or starting a new routine (in particular weight training) is a recipe for water retention as your muscles repair. Especially if you have been tracking accurately (even your cheat meal) and staying in your deficit. Also you can still gain weight eating clean foods.. nuts, avocado, oils, fruit, potatoes... It can add up fast, just something to keep in mind.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Are your tracking with correct entries and weighing what you are consuming? As the others have said you can still eat "clean" and not be in a deficit.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    As a woman who is eating at a deficit and not taking steroids you cannot build much muscle in a month. Sorry. However, your muscles may be retaining water to repair themselves, which can mask weight loss. A month is a long time not to see a significant loss, though. Sounds like you need to double check your tracking and your estimated calorie burns.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
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  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
    chiming in to agree that starting a new routine can lead to water retention masking fat loss. and also that the scale can be a jerk sometimes. there are a couple of ways you can try to detach from the emotional aspect of weigh ins though.

    you can weigh infrequently and use other methods to gauge progress. are your clothes looser? do you feel better while exercising? can you run longer / lift more, etc.?

    you can weigh every day and trend the weights to get a more thorough picture of how you're losing weight. apps like libra (android) or happy scale (ios) will smooth out the fluctuations and graph the overall progress.

    i weigh every day, personally, because i like a lot of data points and because it helps me to understand my weigh ins better. for example, i know i bump up a couple of pounds right before ovulation and around TOM, i also know that if i eat sushi or other high sodium foods, even if i'm within my calorie goal, i'll see a jump up on the scale while my body retains water from the sodium. on the other hand, i know not to get super excited about a new low weight if it coincides with hangover dehydration.
  • mar_pow
    mar_pow Posts: 37 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    what is your goal weight?

    you can overeat in calories while eating "clean" (in fact, I gained weight when I tried eating paleo a few years ago)

    also if you onyl have a little weight left to lose, a cheat meal can potentially blow any deficit out of the water

    Goal weight 140.
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